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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Tue Feb 19 2008 - 17:27:41 EST
I have been a Mac user since 1984. The famous Superbowl commercial of that
year convinced me that I should no longer march to the beat of IBM's drummer.
When reliable Mac laptops became available I started to use them as personal
shipboard navigation computers. Periodically I get request for information on Mac
navigational software. Here is the result of my experience. Incidentally, I
also used PCs, generally provided by my employers, but everyone knows about
them already.
In the early days of Mac computing, there were just a couple of adequate
navigation programs, mostly useful for trip planning. The first one that I had any
hands on experience with was "Navigate!" This was a vector based program with
crudely drawn coastal outlines. It permitted you to plot courses and speeds
between waypoints. Position determination was provided with a link to most of
the then current hand held GPS units. I used it with a Garmin 45.
Navigate! required very few computer resources. It lacked chart quilting, had
no color screens, but would run on even the most rudimentary Mac laptop. I
used it on a Powerbook 160 with 8 Mb memory and a B&W screen. It worked
adequately although battery life was short and the laptop weighed almost 7 lbs. But
the software was cheap.
On a research project with the U. S. Merchant Marine, I was exposed to
MaxSea. This was a full fledged, all bells and whistles, software package that
required a desktop computer or a very well equipped laptop. It handled not only the
MapTech BSB charts but those of foreign suppliers. For that reason it was a
favorite of world voyagers. At the time I couldn't afford either the software
or the computer to run it. By the time I could afford it, MaxSea had been
bought by Furino and stopped making the Mac version. It is still a favorite amongst
foreign flagged commercial ships. www.maxsea.com/
Another favorite Mac software package of a few years ago was NaviMaQ. This
was a very simple program that displayed a standard NOAA chart on the screen and
showed course and position indication through a GPS link. It was relatively
inexpensive and used BSB charts from a CD. It also offered a red night screen,
a feature of dubious utility, since it eliminated all color information.
NavimaQ will run on any Mac laptop capable of using OS 7.6 to 9.2. That means most
of the pre-Intel machines. I've used it on both a Duo 280 and a Powerbook
1400, both available at very low prices (on eBay) and very sturdy machines. The
program has been updated to run on Mac OS X, and now has all the features of
competitive software. The current price is $195. www.landfallnav.com/-enms4.html
I like to scan my own charts of local harbors. One of the few software
packages that supports self scanned charts is GPSy. This will run on all pre OS X
Macs. The current version, GPSy X 3.40 will run on OS X. It costs $60. An
enhanced version, GPSy Pro will accept virtually all foreign charts and can also use
ENC charts. It is almost a Swiss Army knife of a program since it lets you do
so many things with it. You can also scan in road maps and use it on cross
country drives. It was my favorite program until a couple of years ago when free
or almost free NOAA charts became available. But it still has a legion of
devoted users. Even I still use it on homemade charts. www.gpsy.com/
My current favorite Mac navigation program is GPSNavX. This is an extremely
capable program that is remarkably simple to use. At its $59 purchase price it
has been called the best navigational software program bargain on the market,
Mac or PC. It runs the cheap NOAA BSB CDs and the free downloaded NOAA charts.
It will work on any Mac laptop that can run OS X. That means any iBook or
Powerbook with a G3, G4, or Intel processor. GPSNavENC, a more expensive version,
will also run ENC charts as well as the BSB charts. www.gpsnavx.com/
I'm sure that there are more Mac navigation programs out there but I haven't
used them. Perhaps some Macophiles can chime in. With Powerbooks and MacBooks
becoming the laptops of the technological elite, Mac navigation programs are
sure to become more popular. Of course you can always use your PC software on
the newer laptops by running Boot Camp or Parallels.
Larry Z
**************
Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.
(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/
2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
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